During the heyday of field recording in the late 1920s and 1930s, Charlotte ranked among the most-visited locations. In fact, in the late 1930s it hosted more recording sessions than Nashville! The combination of good radio and lots of nearby places to play drew musicians from all over the South to perform live on WBT, making Charlotte an attractive stop for record labels seeking talent. Eventually record companies would establish permanent Southern studios in Nashville in order to be close to radio powerhouse WSM and its Grand Ole Opry, and Charlotte would fade from the spotlight. But recording never stopped in the Queen City. Hometown Bluesmen Wilbert Harrison and Nappy Brown had national hits in the 1950s. James Brown cut 'Papa's Got a Brand New Bag' in 1965, credited with launching funk music. REM made their first LP, 'Murmur', at Charlotte's Reflections Studio in the early 1980s, launching the 'alternative' rock wave.